Libya – The Risky Business of Internal Conflict

What started off as a peaceful protest has descended into a full-scale armed insurrection, pitching opposition forces in the east against loyalist forces (estimated at 8,000 and 40,000 respectively). The crisis has led to more than 1,000 deaths and resulted in the exodus of an estimated 200,000 people; some of these literally walked to neighbouring countries while others were comfortably evacuated by their governments. At the same time, thousands of foreign workers from poorer Asian countries are stranded in various parts of the country as their governments have proven to be unable to offer them any sort of assistance. Their fate seems particularly dire as the conflict is likely to intensify